At any rate, I’ve always been a supporter, dating back to my initial first days of following the Association in the late 1980s, when my family was stationed overseas and I was so starving for any sort of televised sports that I actually started following professional darts and snooker (if you’ve never heard of it, you owe yourself a Google).

The West seems is relatively easy to peg, while the East is stuck with precious few guards and, outside the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, an excess of frontcourters who are all having really good but not quite exceptional seasons. Given presidential authority, these would be my picks for this year’s game, which will be played on Feb. 17 at the Toyota Center in Houston.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Starters

G – Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
29.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.5 spg, .585 TS%, 24.7 PER
Many would point the finger at Bryant for L.A.’s lackluster start. But it’s hard to argue with his production, which includes the most efficient true shooting percentage of his career and the league’s top scoring average.

F – Tim Duncan, San Antonio
17.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.7 bpg, .551 TS%, 24.3 PER
If Duncan had his druthers, he probably wouldn’t play at all. Sorry Tim — you can blame yourself for being too good, registering career-highs in block percentage and free-throw shooting in your 16th season.

F – Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City
28.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, .654 TS%, 28.6 PER
The second-best player in the world continues to evolve, adding a more refined floor game to his already prodigious offense. The efficiency and ease at which he shoots/scores almost defies logic.

G – Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
16.8 ppg, 9.7 apg, 2.6 spg, .596 TS%, 26.5 PER
It is no coincidence the Clippers are on pace to be the second franchise, joining the Hornets, to set a record for victories under his watch. In an era of great point guard play, his floor generalship is unmatched.

Reserves

G – Stephen Curry, Golden State
20.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.6 apg, .572 TS%, 19.2 PER
Would probably be better served by a move to off guard, where his immense shooting skills could be put to best use. Until then, he’s doing just fine as the leader of the surprising Warriors’ offense.

F – Marc Gasol, Memphis
13.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, .553 TS%, 19.2 PER
A big man after Bill Walton’s heart. Pau Gasol’s very big little brother does just about everything for the Grizzlies, serving as their offensive hub while making Player of the Year-caliber impact on defense.

G – James Harden, Houston
26.5 ppg, 5.3 apg, 1.9 spg, .605 TS%, 23.3 PER
How has Harden responded to being given the keys to his own franchise? Just fine, thank you very much. In addition to providing his typical quality in the pick and roll, he’s fifth in the league in scoring.

F – David Lee, Golden State
19.9 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, .572 TS%, 20.4 PER
The list of players averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds this season: David Lee and…David Lee. (Allow us to round up.) Defense still leads a lot to be desired, but otherwise he’s been a fount of fantastic production.

G – Tony Parker, San Antonio
19.5 ppg, 7.1 apg, .582 TS%, 22.5 PER
Has overcame a flu-induced slow start to put up his customarily sparkling numbers. His scoring average, PER, TS% are the second-best of his career — and he’s even picked up a 3-point shot (42.6 percent and climbing).

F – Zach Randolph, Memphis
16.6 ppg, 11.7 rpg, .546 TS%, 20.1 PER
Not as great as years past, but the other half of Memphis’ bruising frontcourt tandem is still a load to deal with down on the block. He’s also having the best rebounding season of his career.

G – Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
21.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 8.5 apg, 2.1 spg, 22.9 PER
Westbrook’s raw shooting percentage has hovered around 40 percent, giving rise to a new round of criticism for one of the NBA’s most polarizing players. He’s still one of the most difficult match-ups in the league.